The present disclosure is directed to minimally-invasive devices that are used to retract tissues and to form a working channel for surgical procedures.
Surgery involves a complex set of manual tasks with numerous limitations, such as a surgeon's vision, manual dexterity and the risk of tissue damage. Minimally-invasive techniques and improved visualization and illumination for minimally-invasive procedures have improved the success rate of such surgeries. Conventional retractor systems used in surgery have numerous limitations. Conventional retractors are generally made of rigid materials and are generally fixed in length and width. They are prone to cause damage of adjacent tissues either by excessive retraction or blunt trauma when pressed against delicate tissues. Further, rigid retractors do not conform well to the surrounding tissue. Endoscopic instruments have limited utility, particularly when they are used in neurosurgical procedures. Currently available designs limit the working channel diameter. This prevents the surgeon from performing surgery with anything other than probe-like instruments.